


We Will Find Our Way Home

by CastielFollowMe



Series: Of Family and Home [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Abuse, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Keith centric, M/M, Mention of Blood and Gore, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racism, Team as Family, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-20 12:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12433179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastielFollowMe/pseuds/CastielFollowMe
Summary: The overdue sequel to "You Should Be Scared of Me.""It's not how big the house is, but how happy the home is." - UnknownKeith is finally healing after his experience with Haggar and accepting of being a Galra hybrid. However, it seems not everyone is accepting of Keith's heritage as his family is. And there are some who will do whatever they can to drive a wedge between Keith and his family.





	1. Some Friends in the Edge of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Um....hi?
> 
> So I know it's been a year (a month over really) since I finished YSBSOM and I have no excuses except I couldn't find the time and my motivation had died. Plus I was (and still am) really into my Single Dad Shiro AU. HOWEVER, I got such a tremendous and wonderful response to the original fic and so many people requesting a sequel that I finally sat myself down and forced me to plop out the entire outline for this fic and write up the first chapter. I apologize it has taken me this long to do so but at least it is here! I have some great ideas for this fic, and I hope we can attract the same momentum as YSBSOM! Obviously, YSBSOM and ideas for this sequel were written before season 3 and it's technically an AU so no, I will not be following canon timeline. Plus, some characters are already dead.
> 
> Anyhow, without further ado, I do hope you enjoy the sequel to "You Should Be Scared of Me!"

_How does my life begin?_

_How can my life begin, when it has already ended?_

x.x.V.x.x

               Keith didn’t heal overnight.

               In fact, he didn’t heal for many months after what he’d endured with Hagger controlling him. After weeks and weeks of countless torture and feeling like an intruder in his own body. He didn’t wake up one morning and realize that everything was okay. That he could move on and his team was safe.

               For weeks Keith slept in someone else’s room. More often, though, he slept in the common room with everyone else sprawled around him. No one argued and everyone was more than happy to accommodate the castle for their family.

               For weeks, Keith would stare at the sleeping forms of his friends – of his family – watching the rise and fall of their chests. He would watch as if they would just stop breathing one night and he would lose everything that he had found during his time in space. For weeks he was terrified that one day he would wake up and his team would be dead and the universe would be in chaos.

               However, weeks went by and nothing changed. Weeks past, forcing Keith to sleep when he could no longer force his eyes to stay open. And eventually, Keith relaxed. He laughed more and smiled more, despite his Galra appearance. He teased Lance with his new height by hiding Lance’s headphones and iPod. He savored and tasted every new creation that Hunk whipped up in the kitchen. He sparred with Shiro now (though he still refused to spar with anyone else) every day. He sat with Allura during late nights when neither could sleep, soaking up all of the tales and stories Allura had of Altea and the Galra homeland. He sat and listened to Pidge’s ramblings for hours on end about alternate realities and newfound technology for the lions, before plucking them up in one clawed hand and dragging them to bed. He helped Coran with some inner mechanics with his new senses being incredibly heightened.

               For a while, Keith simply enjoyed his time with his family.

               Though, he knew they had put him on lockdown from fighting as a paladin or going into any battles while he healed. Long ago, Keith would have been afraid that they were kicking him off the team or untrusting of him _(but he knew better now)_. Now, he realized they were just as afraid of losing him as he was of them, and it touched Keith.

               Keith had actually cried upon realizing this.

               Which in turn made Lance cry.

               And Hunk. And Pidge. And everyone else.

               Still, as Keith healed and his strength returned so did his fiery and explosive nature. His itch to fight and go back into battle with his teammates was becoming overwhelming. He _wanted_ to be at his team’s side to help them and to help the universe. He wanted to pilot Red again.

               Red.

               She had been protective of him since his near death. The first day Keith had left the cryo-pod after hugging and crying with his team, she had locked him inside her barrier and held him close. All the while she would purr and nudge happily into Keith’s thoughts until Keith had laughed and allowed himself to be engulfed by Red’s warm energy. The two were near inseparable since Red couldn’t fly into battle without her paladin. It seems she was feeling that same itch that Keith was feeling.

               _Like Paladin, like lion._

               Finally, finally the day came and Keith couldn’t be any more excited. Exactly two months after Keith had stabbed himself to kill Haggar, he was deemed healthy as a Galra Kit by Coran and Allura. Meaning he was set to return back to piloting Red. His teammates had playfully joked that Keith should just be a diplomate where it was safe and that he was doing so _well_ fixing up the castle. He knew they were nervous about him getting hurt again, but Keith was stunned to see the relief in their eyes when Keith was allowed to fly again.

_They had missed him at their sides._

               Keith had sprinted off, giddy like a child, after Coran’s announcement hearing the others laughing behind him. He wasn’t about to admit that really, he had run off so the others wouldn’t see him tearing up in that moment. He’d done enough crying in the past few months. Keith had his paladin armor on, which had morphed to accommodate his new Galra body _(heavens, though, couldn’t the helmets big ears any better?)_ and was already seated in Red before anyone else had left the common room.

               Red roared to life, as energized as her paladin was and Keith couldn’t help but laugh. He fired Red to laugh and soon enough she was launching through the hangers and out the door. Keith nearly screamed in excitement as Red’s thrusters kicked on and soon enough they were shooting through space. Stars, planets, and asteroids blurred past Keith looking like a messy oil painting. Keith could care less, as the rush of adrenaline soared through his veins. His claws easily gripped the controllers feeling like an old familiar memory.

               Red raced through a belt of asteroids spinning over an oncoming ship and twirled happily through space. Keith was laughing the entire time, feeling the lightest he had ever felt in months. _He felt like home._

               “Showing off again, Kogane?” Keith didn’t even falter when Lance’s voice broke through the comm device on his helmet. His grin widened, until it was nearly painful, upon seeing the black and blue lions flying up to his left and the yellow and green lions flying to his right.

               “Only ‘cause you know I’m the best.” Keith said cockily, forcing his controls forward and feeling Red speed off ahead. He could feel the other lions right behind him, but none being quite fast enough to keep up.

               “I’m pretty sure you’re violating a lot of traffic laws right now.” Shiro chuckled but there wasn’t a hint of disappointment in his voice.

               “Yeah, yeah. We’re Voltron, we’re allowed to.” Keith grinned again just as Red soared upwards. A familiar pull tugged at his body and Keith’s smile softened. “You guys feeling what I’m feeling?” He heard everyone cheer a, “Yeah!” before nodding.

               “Alright team,” Shiro said. “Form Voltron!”

               Keith’s heart nearly exploded with joy as the familiar pull of Voltron pulled him towards the other lions. His mind became a blank canvas for nothing but Voltron and his heart was soaring. Keith felt as the lions were drawn to each other before his own lion began to morph.

               “I still say if we add a little background music, this would totally look like an anime montage.” Lance said suddenly, causing Keith to roll his eyes.

               “True. Shiro, sing us something!” Hunk said brightly

               “Why do you ask me? Is it because I’m Asian?”

               “Nope. Totally not. Pidge sing us something!”

               “No way. Keith can sing us a song.”

               “How rude! Why would none of you ask me, but you’d ask Furry Emo Pants?”

               “Lance. No – just no.”

               All the while, Keith couldn’t stop laughing and in the next moment he breathed a happy sigh as the Legendary Voltron stood tall and proud in the middle of a constellation of stars. Keith stared out the window of Red, taking in the beauty that was space and feeling the adrenaline slowly draining out of him.

               “Welcome back Keith.” Shiro said quietly, causing Keith’s heart to skip a beat. He was thankful that it was hard to tell if he was blushing or not in his Galra form, because he was definitely blushing _hard_ in that moment.

               “Welcome back Keith!” The others all shouted, leaving Keith to smile to himself.

_Yeah, welcome home._

x.x.V.x.x

               Voltron was back in action and the entire universe knew it. News spread from the minute that Voltron had formed for the first time in months, all the way to the darkest ends of the universe. Peaceful planets cheered for Voltron’s returns and parades were thrown by many creatures to honor their defender. However, with all of the news, enemies of Voltron became aware and attacks were planned. Team Voltron was thrown into battle immediately against the Galra empire, though this time it wasn’t as bad without the dreadful creatures created by Haggar.

               Sometimes, Keith could still feel where she had clawed her way into his mind and latched on with spindly fingers. He could almost still feel her presence every time they faced a fleet of the Galra empire.

               Soon enough, Keith could no longer feel her, though he would always feel the scar in his mind more so than the physical scar on his chest. Eventually, Haggar’s presence was replaced by his teammates – their fears, their joy and their strength pulsing through him. He could feel them stronger than ever and out of all of them he was the most attuned to their bond.

               He could tell when Shiro was overworking himself and nearing a panic attack. He could sense when Pidge’s exhaustion was coming through and to get Matt or Sam. He could sense when Hunk’s anxiety over being a diplomate was occurring. He could sense when Lance was feeling particularly insecure about his spot in Voltron or when the princess felt hopeless. He was always there to counteract any negative emotions he could gain from his family.

               It was the least he could do for them after all.

               “Good work out there.” Keith felt Shiro slap his back, and this time Keith didn’t stumble from the force of Shiro’s strength. Keith snickered when he saw Shiro wince before shaking his hand out. He was a lot more solid than he used to be.

               “Thanks.” Keith said, shucking off his helmet. Immediately, his ears puffed out, free from their captivity and he nearly purred with relief. Beside him, Hunk drew his hand back as if physically restraining himself from rubbing Keith’s hair.

_That is your teammate. That is not a cat. That is your teammate._

               Though it was tempting, Hunk was proud to say he had refrained patting his friend on the head. Lance hadn’t done so well, and if Shiro hadn’t swatted his hand away, there was no doubt that Keith would have earned a full rub down. Lance pouted, rubbing his hands while Keith was oblivious to it all.

               “You know, we could see if we could modify your helmet so that your ears aren’t so squished. I bet it’s uncomfortable.”  Pidge said, after noticing Keith’s relief. Keith frowned as he ruffled his fur just in time to see Matt greet them on the bridge.

               “Pidge is right. I bet we could easily duplicate the material of suits for safety, but add in some features that helps you to hear through them since you have the best hearing out of any of us.” Matt said cheerful while greeting each paladin. “Maybe we could even make some sort of electromagnetic field around your ears, so that they can move around freely.”

               “Yes! So that he can move them but they would still be protected just as the rest of him would! We could even add some thermal properties too.” Pidge added excitedly.

               “But…wouldn’t everyone see them?” Keith asked, not fully understanding what Matt or Pidge was proposing. Everyone else was silent around Keith and Pidge and Matt both frowned at Keith’s sudden. “I mean, right now, no one can see them. But if you do that…everyone will know I’m a Galra.”

               The silence was _deafening._

               There wasn’t a single person on this ship who had a problem with Keith’s Galra heritage. Even Samuel Holt had lost his apprehension after Keith’s sacrifice in seeing how much he meant to his second child. Now he treated Keith just as he would treat anyone else on the ship – like his own children. While everyone else was comfortable with Keith’s new body, no one was exactly sure on how Keith felt on the matter. They all knew that Keith had been rather insecure about his appearance, especially after how he had found out what he looked like.

               They knew it brought bad memories for Keith and everyone was trying to make sure Keith was comfortable in his own skin. They wanted to have everyday be the day where Keith could happily walk in his skin, and not feel as if his life had been a lie for the majority of his life.

               For the most part, Keith was.

               Around the castle, in their lions or when it was just his family and him, Keith was laid back. He joked about being a Galra and purred and even enjoyed a full occasional rub. Hot baths and fluffy towels to dry out his _fur_ were his new favorite past time. However, whenever they visited planets or went anywhere public, Keith kept his paladin armor on and typically kept to keeping his helmet on too. He was shy and insecure about going out in public especially knowing all the destruction and death that the Galra empire had done.

               “We could always modify it so that it’s not see-through if you’re uncomfortable Keith,” Matt said softy. Pidge nodded quickly in affirmation. “It’s just a suggestion and lots of alien species have ears like that so no one could tell you were a Galra.”

               Keith’s eyes shifted downward as he kicked a random rock across the bridge. No one spoke up, not wanting to interrupt should Keith have anything to say.

               “I…I know I shouldn’t be so doubtful about it,” Keith whispered. The tone in his voice made hearts break through every paladin and member of the castle. “But…just look at what the Galra have all done. I – I know that not all Galra are evil because, god I hope, my parents weren’t. But…not everyone would understand that. I’m just afraid they’ll see me and panic, because I look like a Galra.”

               “Keith,” Allura was the first to speak up much to Keith’s surprise. He hesitantly looked up at her to see she had made her way to stand right in front of Keith. She gently put a hand on one of Keith’s shoulders and smiled softly. “You are also part Altean. A wonderful and brave race that many in this universe would admire. However, you are part Galra and you must own up to that. It is part of who you are forever and we love it. I cannot guarantee that everyone will be as accepting as us, but I can promise you that you will always be Keith. And you will always be the Red Paladin.”

               Keith cursed when he felt his eyes water and he drew Allura into a sudden hug. She was much smaller and thinner than the others and he was careful when he held her close to him. In fact, Keith had to be careful around everyone – except maybe Hunk and Shiro. Both of them were pretty sturdy and strong. Lance was like a twig and Pidge would be shot through Keith’s arms if he squeezed too hard.

               “Yeah,” Lance added with a snarky grin. “You’re my rival and if anyone has anything bad to say about that then we will just have to kick their butts!” He yelled, high-fiving Pidge who was nodding.

               “Plus, a lion of _Voltron_ chose you as their paladin. Like, the most _untrusting_ one too. That has to count for something.” Hunk said, also grinning with the others. Keith felt his heart racing in his chest and he smiled attentively as he let Allura go.

               He felt a hand reach its way onto his wrist. Turning he looked down to see Shiro grinning at him.

               “Sorry, can’t exactly pat you on the shoulder anymore,” Shiro laughed, causing Keith to snort. “Keith, no matter what anyone says or how other people see you, we will see you for who you are. A kind, brave paladin of Voltron and a member of this family.” With that, Shiro used Keith’s surprise to pull the Galra down into a hug.

               The group stood in a moment of quiet before Hunk sniffled loudly. “I need to be a part of this! Don’t leave me out of hugs!” Then he too latched onto Shiro and Keith, followed by Pidge, Lance, Allura, Coran and the others. All with Keith right in the middle.

               It would be a long road ahead of them, but Keith knew that eventually he would be able to live his life as he once did before.

x.x.V.x.x

               Keith had to tell them.

               He should.

               He would.

               But what would they say _(how would they react)_ once he told them? It was still strange and foreign to Keith when he thought about it. Almost as if it had never been real and it was all just a dream. Yet, no matter how distant or dream-like it felt, it kept nagging Keith in the back of his mind. Always there like an immovable presence, and it was weighing heavily on Keith’s thoughts lately.

               Eventually, when everyone was gathered in the control room after a small battle with the Galra, Keith decided to bring up his thoughts. Hoping that someone could help him.

               “Guys,” Keith said, ears flattening down due to nerves. Shiro, Allura and Matt stopped conversing about their next plans. Coran halted in his mechanics. Hunk, Pidge, and Lance stopped their argument in which they were debating if a moon made out of cheese really was edible. Sam turned to look at Keith curiously and Keith swallowed at the attention. Quickly he cleared his throat before speaking again.             

               “Um, so there’s something I want to talk about with you all.” Keith said, rubbing his arms nervously. His old jacket fit even _worse_ than it had when he was a human, so he had been forced to get a whole new wardrobe and while it was still mainly red and black, it was vastly different. Crop top jackets had been replaced by skin tight, sleeveless tops to give his arms some room. His pants had small ribs in them because even the tallest sizes the space mall had were still a bit too shot. The only similarity was that Keith had been able to find tall red boots in his size. Lance had said they were kinky tall book on anyone else, but they were the perfect height for Keith.

               “Lemme guess, you’re gonna tell us you’re gay and you’ve been brooding because some alien dude won’t make out with you?” Lance pretended to yawn. Keith growled, but there was not anger in his growl. It was mainly a growl of playful annoyance.

               “No.”

               “So, you’re not gay?” Hunk asked suddenly and Keith almost slapped his forehead.

               “That’s not what I was going to say.” Keith argued.

               “So you are gay?” Pidge jumped in.

               “Guys, guys. I don’t think now is the time to talk about Keith’s sexuality. As long as there isn’t a secret lover that you’re about to disclose to us?” Shiro said. For a brief second, Keith was thankful for Shiro speaking up before he was drawing back from Shiro, horrified by his betrayal.

               “Traitor,” Keith muttered under his breath while Shiro smiled innocently. “So, _no,_ that is not what I want to talk to you about,” Keith ignored Lance and Hunk’s sighs of sadness. “Actually, I wanted to talk about…when I died.”

               It was as if the room temperature had suddenly dropped about ten degrees. Team Voltron hadn’t talked about Keith’s near-death experience since the time Keith had woken up. It was as if they had all swept the event under the rug and were refusing to think about it. No one wanted to remember how close they had been to losing Keith. How close they had been to letting go of Keith forever. For all of them, they still had nightmares about the event even to this day.

               “What – what about it, Keith?” Shiro finally asked, throat dry.

               “Well,” Keith fiddled with his claws for a second. His heart was racing practically a hundred miles per hour in his chest. “When I – after Haggar took – when Haggar was in control, I receded into my mind.” Keith began quietly. By now, everyone was standing right beside Keith, hanging onto his every word. Just as they never spoke about what had happened, Keith _never_ talked about what he’d gone through that day.

               “It was like I was drowning. I couldn’t even hear your voices anymore and it was – it was dark. So dark,” Keith continued before shuddering for a second. Shiro hesitantly reached out to comfort Keith but refrained in case Keith jumped. The others looked just as helpless as he felt. “I was alone. And I couldn’t find my way out. I didn’t know what was happening to you and I thought then that I had died.” Hunk swallowed thickly, sharing a look of pain with Lance. _How could Keith have suffered so much? Where was the justice in that?_

_That’s the funny thing though. Where was the justice in anything that had happened to Keith? Or to any of them? How was any of it “fair?”_

               “But then I saw,” Keith licked his lips and sighed heavily. He tried speaking several times but found he couldn’t find the right words. Everyone else waited patiently until Keith was able to speak again, not daring to interrupt. “I saw – my parents. They were there. Wherever I was; standing right in front of me.”

               No one said anything.

               Keith’s heart sunk.

               “I know it sounds crazy and like I’m making it up –”

               “Keith, you’re not crazy.” Coran said softly. “If you say you saw your parents, then we believe you.” Keith felt a lump in his throat and he almost couldn’t speak again, but he knew he had to push past the lump. He had to keep talking.

               “They knew who I was – even like this,” Keith gestured to himself. He could see Shiro and Allura both smiling at him. “They told me that – that they had to leave to protect me. To keep Zarkon away. They said, they loved me. And that they didn’t want to leave me.” Keith’s voice was growing quieter and quieter as he continued.

               “Of course, they did. You’re parents probably loved their big, fluffy space baby kitten so much, that they were willing to take on Zarkon themselves.” Lance interjected with a big grin. Keith found himself chuckling weakly, thankful of Lance’s carefree attitude in this moment.

               “That’s pretty close. But yeah, they loved me. And it felt so real,” Keith stressed. No one denied Keith’s feelings or tried to counteract, which Keith was entirely grateful for. Instead, everyone smiled at him. “It was as if they were right there and I could touch them. Like physical, real bodies talking to me. And I was so, so happy. But then I could hear you guys and I knew I had to go back. I couldn’t stay with them, not when we needed each other.” Everyone in the room was touched by Keith’s statement. They all knew that Keith had realized his place in this family and had no more insecurities, but none of them were aware of _how much_ they meant to Keith.

               At least until now.  
               “But they told me something. Just before I left,” Keith rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “They told me that not all Galra are loyal to Zarkon. That there are others just like them – Alteans, Galra and maybe even other species rebelling against the Galra empire. I know it might not be real and there’s not a lot for me to go off of, but what if there’s a chance that this is right? That there are Galra rebels out there. Or even Alteans, Allura? What if there are more?”

               Allura’s eyes were wide with hope and disbelief at Keith’s words. She was battling and inner turmoil over the possibility that she and Coran might not be the last of the Alteans.

               “I just want,” Keith swallowed thickly when the lump became too much to bear in his throat. “I just want to know…”

               “You want to know, if there are more like your parents? Don’t you?” Pidge finally finished when Keith could no longer continue. His chest was heavy, feeling as if a ton was placed on his heart. He nodded solemnly, barely glancing up at Pidge.

               “I want to know if there are others. Others who aren’t loyal to the empire,” Keith managed after a shaky breath. “Others that might…know anything about who my parents had been.” Keith paused and waited to hear the reactions from the others. He didn’t have to wait very long, before everyone was speaking up at once.

               “Holy Quiznak, are you saying there are super-secret Galra spies out there?!” Pidge.

               “Dude, why the hell did you wait so long to tell? We could have been looking for your parents all this time.” Hunk.

               “How cool would it been to have these super Galra spies on our sides? And badass Altean warriors too.” Lance.

               “Did they said anything about the location where your parents had last been at?” Shiro.

               “Coran, can you imagine other Alteans? What if we’re not the only ones left!” Allura.

               “Yes princess!” Coran.

               “Huh, rebels gotta be likely, I mean we’ve seen many in every quadrant that we’ve saved so far. I’m sure if it’s a Galra rebel base they’re probably laying low.” Matt.

               Keith’s jaw nearly dropped open. He had been expecting much more apprehension from everyone and had been well prepared to argue. In fact, he was probably over prepared for an argument, so he was quite under prepared for a green light to go.

               “…what?” Keith finally managed. This caused everyone to shut up quickly _(you never talk over Keith when he has something to say)._ They all turned to face Keith, seeing the shocked look on Keith’s face before beaming at him.

               “Keith, of course, we’re going to do everything that we can to help you find your parents or find out about your parents.” Shiro finally said and Keith sniffled pitifully. “Besides, if you’re worried about the Voltron mission, any enemy of Zarkon is our ally. We could “strengthen bonds” between us and these rebel spies.” Shiro said easily with a wave of his hand, and Keith had a scandalous look on his face. _Was the leader of Voltron – the pilot of the Black Lion – actually dismissing the missions of Voltron?_ Keith thought the sky would start falling next.

               “Yeah, plus they can help us with the coalition to get others to join Zarkon in the fight for freedom.” Pidge adjusted their glasses and beamed.

               “Guys…” Keith whispered.

               “Keith,” Shiro said. “Is this important to you?”

               Keith didn’t answer right away and instead stared down at the blade that rested at his hip. The same blade that had belonged to his parents, and was the last relic he had of them. Swallowing thickly, Keith nodded.

               “It is.”

               “Then this is important to us.” Shiro nodded firmly, leaving no room for argument. “What’s important to you will always be important to us. If we can do anything to find your family or put them into your memories, then you can bet we will be a part of this.” Keith smiled gratefully and laughed.

               “Thanks to you, I have my _whole_ family back.” Pidge added quietly. Keith was stunned by Pidge’s statement but opted to keep quiet and instead he smiled at her. “So, I’ll do whatever it takes to get yours back too.”

               “Plus, can you imagine all of the embarrassing stories Mama Kogane and Dad Kogane can tell us about Keith as a baby.” Lance added towards the end, causing Keith to growl loudly.

               _“Lance!”_

               With spirits high and sights anew, Team Voltron had a new mission: Find the rebel Galra. Though, it was easier said than done. For a few days, no one could find any information on whereabouts of any Galra spies or rebel leaders. Most rebel bases that they visited had _never_ had a Galra on their side.

               Keith didn’t let this deter him and in his heart, he knew there had to be these spies out there. He just knew that his parents were right in which not all Galra were evil. There was a small part of him that wanted the justification that Galra weren’t born evil, even when he logically knew that. He just held onto that hope and belief. It was as if part of him was still afraid of what Keith was capable of – of what he could turn _back_ into at any sudden moment. As if he didn’t trust himself, even when everyone else trusted Keith with their lives.

               Until one day, a large rebel gathering had occurred on Planet Zenox. Voltron, of course, had been invited by the rebels personally. There hadn’t been time to ask about Galra rebels, but this was the biggest rebel gathering in years. Keith held onto the hope that there had to be some Galra at the gathering too.

               “I want to go to that gathering.” Keith announced as they arrived in the outer atmosphere of Zenox. He was already suited up in a different gear rather than his paladin armor. This new gear was mainly black and grey, but still had armor and a helmet. It was already decided that the paladins weren’t going in their traditional armor, in order to blend into the crowds easier. They didn’t want to be overrun by fans on a mission, nor did they want to attract too much attention. They wouldn’t deny their status as Paladins of Voltron, but they wouldn’t be announcing it.

               To his relief, everyone else was already suited up too. Allura and Coran were not in the same armor as the paladins, but rather their usual attire, but they too looked ready for action.

               “Good, we figured so. We’re all coming with you.” Shiro said, locking his helmet onto his head.

               “You guys don’t have to all go.” Keith protested weakly, even though he’d rather they all be there with him. Keith didn’t know what he would find, but he wanted his family by his side in case he found anything of relevance to his parents.

               “Of course, we do!” Pidge said. “No lone wolf shit. We’re a team and we go together, from now on.” Keith nodded at them before putting his own helmet on. His grimaced when his ears were smushed up against his head and resisted the urge to wind. Especially when Hunk gave him a gentle pat on the back say, “I know it hurts buddy. I know.”

               “We’ll take the black lion. The other lions will be hidden further away from the gathering in case anything goes wrong.” Shiro stated once all of the paladins were loaded up into the black lion. After saying their goodbyes to Allura, soon all of them were off to planet Zenox _(just what would they find? What would they see?)_.

               Keith’s skin was crawling when the black lion finally landed near the edge of the crowded gathering. _There were so many people._ His instincts were on high alert and he was mortified to know that his fur was probably standing up under his suit. The second that the paladins exited the black lion they were unfortunately noticed and swarmed right away. People of all alien races and creatures of every kind were gathered around. Most were grungy and dirty, in tattered clothing with obvious scars from the war. However, there was an unmistakable joy in their eyes upon seeing the black lion.

               Voltron was a symbol of hope for these people.

               A sign of peace.

               Something they all needed in the face of the Galra Empire.

               Lance was in his element and even Shiro greeted many rebels. Hundreds of rebels swarmed them all trying to shake hands or grab one of them. It had Keith hissing quietly and backing away. Somehow his arm was in front of Pidge, keeping a barrier between them and the rebels despite Pidge cursing to themselves. Keith had counted on more of an element of surprise and was starting to wish they had come in an empty ship. Even though he knew the rebels were counting on Voltron being there. _Who was he to deny the people Voltron?_

               “Voltron! It’s the Paladins of Voltron!”

               “The Legendary Defenders of the Universe!”

               “They’ve really come!”

               “Can I get a picture?”

               “Can I have an autograph?”

               “Can I pay ten gacs to feel your legendary muscles?”

               “Where’s Voltron?”

               Keith jumped as several hands tried to grab onto him. His heart was racing in his chest and his brain was screaming at him to _fight, fight, fight_ then _flee!_ He had to get out of this crowd and to higher ground – somewhere safer.

               “Alright! Enough! Enough!”

               “QUIET DOWN YOU LOT!”

               This time, everyone jumped alongside Keith at the sudden scream. A rather large man, in a tattered coat with bandages around his six arms was grinning crookedly at the paladins. He bowed and raised his arms towards the crowd. Instantly, the crowed hushed to a deadly silence and the paladins were slightly impressed by the man’s ability.

               “I told you Voltron would show up to the _biggest_ rebel gathering in 10,000 years!” The man continued to yell. A deafening cheer of screams followed his yell and Keith winced. For once he was glad noises were a bit muffled due to his ears being cramped. “And here they are! The brave paladins of Voltron who have been freeing our star system from the evil forces of the _Galra!”_

               Another deafening cheer followed and Keith felt Pidge squeeze his arm.

               “The _Galra_ have taken all they could from us but it wasn’t enough! We could never be broken and now with Voltron on our side, we will defeat Zarkon and take down the _Galra_ once and for all!” The man yelled even louder than before and the screaming cheers were thunderous. They were almost as loud as the blood rushing through Keith’s ears.

               “And now, I present the paladins of Voltron.” The man bowed once more, earning hundreds upon hundreds of claps. Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Lance and Keith were frozen in their spots unsure of what to do. It was awkward and they were unprepared but these people looked as if many of them had seen death itself. Voltron was their beacon of light, and while they had a mission to do, the people came first. Even Keith understood this.

               It was with an apologetic smile that Shiro nodded at Keith, before removing his helmet and facing the crowd. Keith’s heart was thumping in his ribcage. He wondered if the others were just as nervous as he was.

               “Rebels, my name is Shiro. I am the Black paladin of Voltron and the leader. We’ve come in gracious acceptance to your gathering and we can only be amazed at the strength and resilient of those fighting against _Zarkon’s empire.”_ Shiro said loudly, taking on the role of the leader of Voltron with ease. Keith admired how easily Shiro could turn into a confident leader, but he knew it wasn’t always easy. _Shiro fights so hard to get us where we are._ “You are all proof that Zarkon cannot take control of everything that he wishes, and that he cannot take away every innocent life in this universe!”

               Cheers followed Shiro’s speech and Keith took a deep breath.

               “I am the Leader of Voltron, and these are your heroes.” Shiro then gestured to the rest of the team. Lance was the first to jump into the spotlight beside Shiro, taking off his helmet and smiling dazzingly at the crowd.

               “Hey, there! Especially to all you cute ladies and gents out there!” Lance winked, earning some laughter from the crowds. Keith would swear that he saw several aliens blushing, though he couldn’t exactly tell which gender they might have been. “The name’s Lance and I pilot the Blue Lion to Voltron.” Just as Lance was giving his signature finger guns and about to tell a lame pick-up line, he was suddenly shoved out of the way as Pidge stormed past him. They pulled off their helmet and gauged the crowd.

               “hey, I’m Pidge. I pilot the green lion, and you there!” Pidge suddenly shouted, pointing to the crowd. Everyone jumped in fear especially the alien she was pointing at, who was sweating. “Is that a self-powering robot holding your supplies?!” The man nodded timidly and Shiro quickly grabbed Pidge’s collar before they could jump down. He then nodded to Hunk and Keith.

               Quietly, Hunk moved his helmet. “Um, hi? I am the pilot of the Yellow Lion. I like to cook and yeah.” Hunk waved at the crowd who all cheered again. As he stepped aside, Keith’s heart felt like it would rip out his chest at any moment. He debated if it was a good idea to just address the crowd with his helmet on. No one from his team was looking like they would be angry if he did so.

               Still.

               Keith had to try.

               Slowly, with shaking hands, he unlatched the helmet and removed it from his head. His ears flopped up, free from their confinement, and soon enough Keith could hear everything. Including the sudden gasps from the crowds.

               “I am Keith the Red Paladin –” This was as far as Keith could get through before the shouting started and his stomach sunk to the floor.

               “A Galra!?” Someone screamed angrily from the crowd.

               “A Galra has infiltrated the gathering! They must have snuck aboard!” Another rebel shouted and suddenly, several rebels were climbing up towards Keith and trying to grab him. Only this time, they were aiming to _hurt_ him.

               The rebels ignored the others’ shouts of protest and ignored the angered growls that Keith was giving them and he fought every rebel off him. His mind was buzzing in panic and he could feel a familiar animalistic anger wanting to cloud his instincts. _No, no, no don’t panic._

Another rebel reached for his ears.

_Let go of me!_

               Several rebels were trying to grab his arms and Keith threw them off.

               _Let go of me!_

               A rebel grabbed his suit.

_LET GO OF ME!_

               Keith snarled, vision become clouded and a snarl tore through his throat.

               _LET._

He swung wildly, claws breaking through the skin of his suit when a rebel grabbed his neck.

               _ME._

               He nearly roared as more crowded him.

               _GO!_

               Keith suddenly growled loudly, flinging every rebel off of him. He crouched low to the ground, claws digging into the metal under him. His lips were curled back into a snarl as his purple eyes surveyed the rebels surrounding him. Just as he was about to rake his claws along a rebel’s face, he was shoved back and four figures crowded in front of him. Instinctively, Keith hissed and scrambled back before he saw that it was his family in front of him.

               His family had come to rescue him.

               “Enough!” Keith heard Shiro shout louder than before. “That is a Paladin of Voltron that you are attacking! I will not stand for any harm coming to my team and my family!”

               “How is _he_ a Paladin? He’s a Galra!” A rebel shrieked and Keith’s ears flattened over his head.

               “He is the Red Paladin of Voltron, chosen by _Voltron_ itself!” Lance snapped hotly. “He’s probably saved many of your asses already!”

               “You expect us to believe that a Paladin of Voltron is a Galra?! The same species that nearly annihilated _my_ home planet?”

               “There are Galra who oppose Zarkon’s empire! Who are on our side!” Pidge hissed. “Aren’t there any here?”

               A rebel in the crowd laughed. “Galra here? Why, we’d have strung them up by now if there was! Galra are inherently evil! He must have brainwashed you!”

               “No!” Hunk hissed, stance ready to fight. Keith was shocked at the amount of venom in Hunk’s usually sweet voice. “Keith is a part of this team because he _belongs_ on Voltron! Without him there would be no Voltron! He was chosen and if not, we would have chosen him over _any_ of you!”

               “All Galra are out to kill us! He will kill you in your sleep!”

               Keith winced, feeling that insult hit so close to home. _I almost did kill them._

               “The Galra are scum! They all deserve to die!”

               Keith’s anger returned when something hit his face. He looked down to see a metal tool had been thrown from the crowd and at him. Underneath all of the anger, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sadness _(this is why I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to)_. He curled back further from the crowd, watching as Shiro’s prosthetic arm grabbed the alien who had thrown the tool at Keith. The alien yelped in surprise. Shiro’s face was set in a terrifyingly cool mask, causing Keith to shudder.

               In the next second, Keith felt another tool hit him before the ground was trembling. A loud, terrifying roar could be heard in the distance and a new wind swept up the sand all around them. The crowd yelled in fear and many were ready to fight or get to their ships, when they belly of the red lion hovered over the Paladins. The Red lion dropped to the ground beside the Black lion, bringing the Black lion to life. Both lions roared into the ground and positioned themselves lower to the ground, ready to fight.

               Keith’s heart leapt out of his chest.

               “W – What’s happening?! Call off your lions!”

               “The Red lion is only attacking because she senses her paladin in danger. The same paladin who you’ve been scorning and trying to hurt. He is her paladin and she is only protecting him.” Shiro said suddenly. He pulled Keith up gently by the arm and led him towards Red.

               “Go. We’ll handle this.” Shiro whispered softly, leaving Keith to nod numbly. “Keith, I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

               “It’s not your fault Shiro.” Keith mumbled before entering the lion. Once he was secure in his seat, the Red lion launched itself into the air and returned to the castle. Stunned silence followed, before the paladins of Voltron were glaring at the crowds.

               “We mean you no harm and we are all on the same side. Including him.” Shiro finally said. “That Galra that you hurt, is a savior to this universe. He is a member of Voltron and he is on our side, just as we hope you are. Voltron fights for _everyone,_ of all species. That includes rebellious Galra against Zarkon’s empire. And to any rebel Garla, known this: Voltron fights alongside you. If you oppose hatred and Zarkon’s empire then Voltron will answer your call.”

               Voltron did not stay any longer at the Rebel gathering.

               There was no need to.

               Not when one of their own was hurt.

x.x.V.x.x

               Keith wasn’t in the hanger with Red like some of them thought he would be. Nor the training room or his own room. Instead, he was sitting at the observatory deck. Simply staring out at the stars aligned before him. It was a déjà vu moment – as if they had seen in in this very spot before.

               The paladins shared a quick look with one another. Words of comfort wouldn’t solve the root of the problem this time. _Would Keith be okay with ‘I love yous’?_ The problem went much deeper than the surface. The problem stemmed from hatred and it was a hatred that his family couldn’t control outside of their homes.

               Eventually, Pidge was the first to sit beside Keith and rest their head on his arm. He was slumped forward but didn’t push away when they had sat down, leaving Shiro to sit on his other side and Hunk and Lance to crowd around the group.

               “I wish I could tell you it was okay.” Shiro finally admitted.

               “But it’s not.” Lance sighed and burrowed deeper into Shiro’s side.

               “No.” Shiro said. Beside Keith, Pidge angrily kicked their feet out and Hunk sighed a deep, heavy sigh that went into his soul.

               “It’s not fair. How do any of them have any right to say those things to you? They don’t even know what type of person you are!” Pidge mumbled under their breath. A ghost of a smile curved Keith’s lips upwards as he stared down at his claws. _But it is fair. You look like a monster after all._

               “Yeah! They don’t know that despite being a Galra you still kept that stupid ugly mullet but at least it looks better with those big ears!” Lance argued hotly. Keith chuckled slightly, breath brushing across Shiro’s neck causing Shiro to smile.

               “Or that you’re an awesome guy. You’ve saved so many lives and it’s because of you that Zarkon’s which is dead!” Hunk added. Keith gently smiled at the rest of his team but his mood was still sour despite their best attempts to help him.

               “But that doesn’t make it better.” Lance finally sighed upon seeing Keith’s shoulders were still hunched in on himself. “I get it. It fucking hurts that people take one look at you and think the worst and I wish we could make them see otherwise. I just know that not everyone is like this. There are others out there who will accept you just as we have.”

               Keith knew this in his heart, even when his heart was clouded by so much anger and pain. Though, sometimes a person was allowed to feel a little angry in moments like these. Keith was allowed to be upset and to be hurt. Hell, if he wasn’t everyone would be a little bit worried.

               “Part of Voltron’s mission is that one day, everyone in the universe will be able to look at you, and they will no longer be afraid.” Allura said suddenly. “One day, people will no longer be afraid but it may take time. And until that day happens you must do whatever makes you most comfortable Keith.”

               Everyone else nodded in agreement and Keith continued to wonder how did he get so lucky to have been chosen to be a part of this family? How had fate brought them together?

               “Thanks guys. I’ll be okay later.” Keith said softly. The group pile remained for a little while loner before everyone began to head back into their rooms. Each one of them left Keith with a smile and a goodbye until Keith was the last person on the observatory deck. His smile dropped and his eyes looked sad as they gazed out the window.

               _Today had not been what I had hoped._

_Mom, Dad, please wait for me._

               One clawed hand grasped at the knife that was on his belt before he took the knife out. Keith turned the knife over several times in his hands, observing the patched handle. Slowly, he unwounded the cloth around the handle to reveal a purple ensemble carved into the hilt of the blade. Gentle fingers ran over the ensemble before Keith began to wind the cloth back around the hilt of the cloth.

               He would find his parents. Alive or in memory, he would.

               Especially with his team by his side.

_I’m not alone anymore, how wonderful is that to hear?_

               Later, the next night while everyone else was training it was Keith who opened the signal sent to Voltron. It was an encrypted code but Keith had been around Pidge enough to learn how to crack the simplest of codes. He would have to remember to thank the smaller paladin, but all was forgotten when Keith finally read the message sent to them.

               _There are more like you._

               Underneath it was a set of coordinates.

x.x.V.x.x

_How can my life begin if I don’t even know where to start?_


	2. Cutting Like Knives in a Fist Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does school kick my butt? Ugh. Anyway, here's the next part, just a week late but at least it's here! Now the action is finally happening and the main plot will come into play very soon. Thanks again to anyone that commented, gave kudos or simply read this fic! Poor Keith always has to suffer in my stories and I don't know why.

_When I look at you, all I see is someone new._

_When you look at me, all you see is a monster._

x.x.V.x.x

               Keith had been staring at the message for several days now. So much that he had engraved the message and the coordinates into his brain. It was a current matter of debating whether this was a trap or a serious lead that Keith needed to follow. _What if there had been Galra rebels at that event? Would they be able to help me – or help Voltron?_

               Of course, Keith had told his team about the message upon their arrival back in the castle. Everyone had been wary of the message at first, with Allura being the first to claim it could have been a trap. Logically, Keith knew this was a serious possibility, but he was still disappointed to hear Allura suggesting that. Whether it was the sad look on Keith’s face or reality, Shiro had been quick to suggest that it might not be a trap. He had, after all, addressed Galra rebels specifically in his speech. He wasn’t denying that it could be a trap but he wasn’t promoting the idea to just forget about the message.

               “We don’t know and that’s the hard part. If it’s a trap then that means there were Galra Empire intel at that rally, and the rebels are in trouble,” Shiro sighed. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully while Keith nodded absentmindedly.

               While Keith would rather never deal with the rebels again or show his face to them, the rebels hadn’t made much more of a scene than they already had. They’d worked with Voltron on a few small rescues already, but they weren’t willing to meet all of them right away again. Keith in particular.

               “However, we don’t know if this really is a message from these Galra and if we ignore this, then we lose our only chance of getting Keith close to the people who could possibly tell him about his parents,” Shiro added, startling Keith for a second. He was still slightly surprised that the team was so willing to let him do this mission and find the Galra, despite all of the duties that Voltron already had.

               “True and we can’t let that happen,” Hunk added, making Keith smile to himself. _It felt good to be whole again, in his team again. Their bond was stronger than ever without any insecurities threatening to break it._ Hunk winked in Keith’s direction, causing the other boy to blush. Thankfully, his blush was hidden in his Galra fur.

               “But we can’t risk this if this really is a trap. Everyone on this team is important and the Galra could be trying to split us up.” Shiro said softly. Keith shuddered, as memories of the last time he had been on a Galra ship invaded his mind. “It’s been a while since Zarkon has made any moves.”

               “Too long. He must be planning something. You’d think after losing his right-hand lady he’d just quit, but apparently not.” Lance moaned before flopping onto his chair. Everyone nodded at Lance’s general statement.

               It was strange for Zarkon to be so quiet.

               And unnerving.

               “Let’s get some rest and think about our plan of action. Then we can discuss what to do with this message.” Shiro commanded, already into his “leader” voice. Everyone saluted the Black Paladin (though some were less serious than others) and everyone went their separate ways. Keith slumped out of the room with a soft sigh until a large hand was on his shoulder. He looked down to see Hunk _(how strange it was to be looking down at Hunk)_ smiling at him.

               “Don’t worry Keith, we’ll find these rebels. One way or another.” Hunk said.

               “Thanks, Hunk.”

               “Yeah buddy,” Lance jumped into the conversation while trying to sling an arm around Keith. It was much harder when Keith was significantly taller than Lance, however, Keith was nice enough to bend down. “We’ll find them. They can’t hide away in their dark rooms, blasting MCR like you, so don’t worry about it. We’ll get your answers.” Keith smiled gently, touched by Lance and Hunk’s encouragement. _They had come a long way since the beginning._

               Slowly, Keith straightened to his full height, causing Lance to yelp as Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist to keep his arm locked around Keith’s neck. Eventually, Lance’s feet weren’t touching the floor at all and he was simply dangling with an arm around Keith.

               “Stop it you fuzzball! Put me down you overgrown housecat!” Lance argued loudly, causing Keith to snicker and Hunk to burst into laughter. Lance looked at Hunk with such a look of betrayal causing Hunk to attempt to apologize through his laughter. As he tried to help Lance down, Keith skirted around Hunk, still holding onto Lance before trotting down the hallway.

               “You stupid giant Furry! Put me down right now, you ugly, purple butt!”

               “Insults will only make you go higher!”

               “Keith!”

               That was the end of the discussion. Voltron had been busy with smaller disputes and many, many diplomatic meetings afterward. Keith never brought up the message concerning the Galra rebels, for he knew that his paladin duties had to come first and foremost. Not only would Shiro and Allura say that, but Keith believed that he had to be a part of this time. Which meant he had to take his duties seriously.

               No matter how dull or stupid they were.

               Though, Keith’s helmet was never off during these diplomatic meetings. While the others would take off their helmets, Keith kept his on. He was not about to risk another chance of anger like during the rebel meet-up. Surprisingly though, there was always one other person who kept their helmet on with Keith. It changed every time, and sometimes it was Pidge who kept her helmet on, or Lance or sometimes even Shiro kept his helmet on. It made Keith’s tail curl embarrassingly and his ears flop over from happiness.

_I truly am a lucky one._

               Thankfully, no one had any other problems with Team Voltron having a Galra. At least, no one said anything or tried to start anything whenever Voltron was around. Keith didn’t know if word got out that it was the Red Paladin who was a Galra, as some people treated every one of them equally. Though, Keith refused to dwell on it and instead kept his focus on the coalition and being peace to the Universe.

               Lately, Keith had lingered back to help on manual missions or stayed on the castle with Coran during several diplomatic missions. The longer that Keith stayed behind, the more he thought about the message that had been sent to them.

_There are more like you._

               Keith couldn’t help but hold onto the message as if it were a lifeline. _Other Galra who aren’t evil and oppose Zarkon._ It meant more to him than he wanted to admit to know that there could possibly be others out there, who were just like him. Keith knew Allura would never oppose to him being on the team _(now)_ but he knew that Galra in general still upset Allura. It was one of the reasons why he was hesitating to do more about this message. He didn’t want anyone else to be uncomfortable if only for his sake.

               Yet, he was just so curious.

               Finally, it was Matt who had cracked the coordinates and located where the message had come from. It was a lonely planet called Dzankal. It was inhabited by a known species called the Loxthorans, who looked more like overgrown bears wearing clothes, but apparently, they were pretty neutral in the war. It wasn’t a known rebel base, however, Dzankal was known for opposing and fighting against any attempts by the Galra Empire to enslave it.

               However, apparently, the Loxthorans were known for taking in refugees. Unwanted creatures that many other might oppose or _reject._ Creatures, possibly like Galra rebels.

               Keith was stunned. This was the most proof that he had been able to find that this message was not a trap by the Galra Empire. He didn’t think that they would find anything else out unless they went to the planet of Dzankal themselves.

               However, there was a diplomatic meeting that Voltron was supposed to attend.

               Keith didn’t want to admit it, but he was worried that whoever had sent them that message, would wind up changing their minds if they took too long to respond. The people who had sent the message hadn’t bothered sending anything else since their first message. _But what if they leave? This could be my one chance._

               “I have to go.” Keith finally announced, just mere hours before Voltron was set to meet up with their diplomats. It was a surprise to see him in different armor other than his paladin armor, with his helmet off, and not looking suited up for a diplomatic mission.

               Everyone knew exactly what Keith was referring to.

               “Um, can’t it wait? Until we get back from this mission. Then we can all go.” Hunk asked quietly. Keith shook his head with a sigh.

               “No. I’ve been thinking. What if they leave, because we’re taking so long?” Keith said, swallowing thickly. He fiddled with the sleeves of his suit, feeling weird without his gloves _(as always)_ since no pair of gloves fit over his claws. “They sent us that message and that’s it, but Matt figured out that the planet it came from is relatively peaceful. And the people there…don’t care if – if Galra come. As long as we’re not from the Empire. And what if this is my only chance? Like, what if I wait and they leave and then there’s no one to tell me about Galra rebels. No one to tell me about my parents maybe or where to go? I want to come with you guys and help and you know I trust you but I can’t help but worry…”

               “You’re worried that this could be your only chance.” Lance finally said, when Keith was too nervous to say anything else. Silently, Keith nodded, causing Lance to snort and roll his eyes.

               “Yeah.”

               “Keith, we trust you,” Shiro said softly, coming up next to Shiro. Without hesitating, the rest of Keith’s family inched closer to him. “I know this is what you want and that is something we want too. However, I don’t like you going alone – any of us – going alone on a mission that we can’t be sure isn’t a trap.”

               Keith frowned, ready to argue, only to be cut off by Allura.

               “Shiro is right Keith. This could be a dangerous mission and we have no idea what Zarkon is planning. Especially with the death of his witch,” Allura admitted. Keith’s stomach churned at the mention of Zarkon and his heart thudded in his ribcage. _Haggar is dead. Haggar is dead. Haggarisdead. Haggarisdeadhaggarisdeaddeaddeaddead._

               Everyone else’s face paled at the mention of Haggar.

               “I couldn’t bear it if anything were to happen to you like when H-Haggar, when Haggar…” Allura felt herself choke up, upon recalling their last memory of Haggar. She paused to take a shuddering breath and Keith remained quiet. “I don’t believe it to be safe if _any_ of us took on a mission alone.”

               “Well, do we all have to go to this diplomat?” Pidge grumbled. “I’d much rather help Keith.”

               “It would be most appropriate if as many members of Voltron could be there, in case anything happens or if questions need to be asked,” Allura replied sympathetically. _No one_ liked these diplomatic missions, however, they were necessary to achieve peace.

               “What if I went with him?” Matt finally spoke up, from where he was leaning against Pidge’s seat. Keith blinked in surprise and turned to face Pidge’s older brother.

               The man grinned cockily at them, looking vastly different from when he first came to team Voltron after his rescue. Keith almost smiled but refrained from doing so when everyone else looked at him.

               “Excuse me?” Pidge finally asked.

               “I said, what if I went with him?” Matt said again, pushing away from Pidge’s chair to walk towards Keith. Sam Holt eyed him warily but kept his mouth shut. “I’d just be sitting on this ship anyway and Coran and I have already run all of the diagnostics that we can. To be honest, I’m getting a bit bored on this ship.”

               “Matt, are you suggesting that you and Keith go?” Sam asked quietly.

               “Sure. That way the rest of you can go on your mission and then you can join us whenever you are done.” Matt nodded with another grin. “That way Keith doesn’t go alone and you can still do your mission.”

               “Matt…”

               “Dad, Shiro, and Keith have _both_ been personally helping me to learn to fight better. Plus, Allura’s not kicking my butt _that_ badly anymore.” Matt said, ears a bit red from that last part of his explanation. Allura hid a giggle in her hand while Pidge and Lance flat out snickered. Luckily, Sam kept quiet and instead nodded with a sigh.

               “Shiro?” Keith finally asked, when he noticed none of the paladins had spoken up. Immediately, the mood turned south some and Keith could feel his shoulders drop. Until, Shiro gave him a pat on the back and sent him one of his signature smiles. A smile that made Keith warm from his head to his toes, and made him feel like a giddy little kid again instead of an 8-foot Galra.

               “I wish we could go with you,” Shiro admitted quietly. Keith felt his heart hammering in his chest. _Oh, I wish too. I wish, I wish._ “I’d rather we be at your side and help you in any way we can, but I understand that time might be against us. The longer we wait, the less chance that you might get any answers. I trust you, and I trust Matt. You do what you need to and when you’re done we’ll be right here for you.”

               Keith couldn’t stop the smile on his face even if he tried.

               “Now, go. Be great.” Shiro finally pushed Keith forward making Keith and everyone else laugh. Shoulders shaking and chest warm, Keith took one last look back at his team smiling at him and waved.

               “Stop being so cheesy.” Keith finally rolled his eyes playfully at Shiro, who simply shrugged his comment off.

               “And we’ll come find you as soon as you’re done, so you’re not alone,” Shiro called behind Keith, right before the door closed. Keith’s throat tightened and his clawed fingers clenched into tight fists.

               “You okay?” Matt asked when they got in the elevator. Keith paused to take in a deep breath.

               “Yeah. Just…love them all. A lot.” Keith admitted softly. He looked over at Matt to see a soft smile on his face.

               “I know. I can see it, and they love you a lot too.”

               Keith had butterflies in his stomach the entire ride to Dzankal.

x.x.V.x.x

               Keith felt uneasy without Red. Though she had protested heavily and expressed her anger, she reluctantly had stayed in the castle. If this mission had turned out to be a trap, Keith didn’t want the Galra empire to get their hands on _any_ of the lions, least of all Red. He would not give Zarkon that satisfaction again.

               He and Matt made small talk towards Dzankal, mainly making fun of Lance and Keith was once again glad that they had found Pidge’s brother and father. _Though I wish it had been under better circumstances._ Once they got closer to Dzankal’s atmosphere the tension in the air had returned once again. Keith’s hands were probably sweating as they gripped the steering of the ship when he began to land near the coordinates sent to them.

               So far, nothing suspicious had caught their eye. Keith couldn’t find any traces of Galra Empire bases. He couldn’t locate any mass weapons full of deadly destruction. There were a few villages and some smaller bases set up on the planet, but much of it looked uninhibited and full of greenery and untouched land.

               The closer they got to the ground, Keith could make out a small base that looked like it belonged to rebels. For a second his heart sunk, when he thought that these rebels could be the same types of rebels as they had previously endured. He didn’t even think of the possibility that these rebels could, in fact, be Galra rebels.

               “It looks like a rebel base,” Matt confirmed, looking through a pair of magnifying scopes on his binoculars to better see the base. Keith quietly landed the ship with ease, hiding it within the green shrubbery of the forest behind the base. “Possibly could be a headquarters for those Galra rebels, since I don’t recall Loxthorans having a rebel base yet.”

               Keith was silent as he stared at the rebel base. In a quiet tone, he spoke in a voice that made Matt’s heartache. “Or it could be more rebels that despise Galra.”

               “It could,” Matt admitted. “But we won’t know until we scavenger the base out.” Finally, Matt unbuckled himself and began to make his way out of the ship. He stopped to look back at Keith when he noticed that Keith was still watching the rebel base. Gently, Matt opened the hatch to their ship and exited the ship. “I’m going to get a closer look to see what exactly we are dealing with.”

               When Matt turned around after walking a few feet, he was startled into a mini-heart attacked upon seeing Keith _right_ behind him. He jumped about a foot in the air, earning a confused head-cock from Keith, before clutching a hand to his chest.

               Breathing deeply, Matt couldn’t even form the right words to speak, so Keith spoke instead.

               “Let’s see how close we can get to see what’s going on here.” Keith simply said before walking ahead of Matt, as if he hadn’t scared Matt into his forties. Matt took another deep breath, grumbling under his breath and jogging to keep up with the Red Paladin. By the time he had caught up to Keith, Keith was already sinking his claws into the bark of a tree before pulling himself up and _scaling the tree as if it were nothing._

               Matt’s jaw dropped.

               Keith glanced over his shoulder as if just noticing Matt and nodded. He continued to climb the trunk of the tree until he reached the lowest branch of the tree, which was still _twenty feet_ off the ground.

               “You can climb trees now?!” Matt asked while Keith laid down on his stomach and peered out at the base in front of them.

               “I’ve always been able to climb trees. But I still had to find a branch to grab onto before I was Galra.” Keith explained nonchalantly, and Matt almost choked again. Instead, he sighed and tried to peer over the bushes in front of him, without giving away his position.

               “Anything?” Matt asked quietly when he couldn’t spot anyone walking outside of the base. He could somewhat make out dark shapes in the distance and wondered if Keith could see these figures clearly for who they were.

               “There are a few rebels stationed around the entrances. They look similar to the rebels that we met before, except I don’t recognize any of them yet.” Keith replied quietly. Matt’s heart dropped.

               “So, we’re looking at a different group of rebels?”

               “Probably,” Keith said.

               “But no Galra?” Matt asked hesitantly.

               “No,” Keith said after a few moments of silence. However, he remained where he was on his tree branching, continuing to observe the base with narrowed eyes. Matt’s eyes scanned the entire base from where he was. It was a well-kept base but looked to be more like a supply stop base. Which meant that it probably wasn’t a Galra rebel headquarters base, but there could still be some answers here. Matt was positive that the message came from this position and by the looks of it, this wasn’t one of Zarkon’s bases.

               Eventually, Keith jumped to the floor beside Matt and he looked far more depressed than Matt was used too.

               “We should still check it out. I _know_ that signal came from here.” Matt said suddenly. Keith’s ears flicked in confusion and he frowned.

               “Matt, it’s a rebel base. They won’t be happy if I’m here and there’s obviously no Galra here.” Keith argued tiredly.

               “How do you know?” Matt shot back, biting his cheek to keep himself in check. _Keith could obliterate you if you are rude._ “We haven’t seen the whole base and like I said: that signal came from here. So even if there are no Galra here, _someone_ on this base might know something to help you!”

               “Or they’ll just ridicule and scorn me.”

               “Maybe but we won’t know until we _try,”_ Matt emphasized desperately. He couldn’t let Keith just walk away from this. “You came all the way for this because you _felt_ something. You believed that we could find something from this! We can’t have come all this way only for you to give up!”

               “Matt, there’s gossip all across the Universe that a paladin of Voltron is a Galra,” Keith said. His heart was cracking more and more every time he spoke. “When these rebels realize that Galra is _me,_ I doubt they will have anything to say to me.”

               “But they could,” Matt finally snarled. “Keith, _someone_ on this base sent you that message. It obviously isn’t a ploy of Zarkon, meaning _someone_ here knows about Galra rebels. Wouldn’t you risk anything to find out information on these Galra? Even a little scouring.” He waited for Keith to nod timidly before he nodded himself. “Besides, we could probably blend in as rebels. If you keep your helmet on, then no one will know.” Matt dug around in one of the bags along his hip before pulling out some binding tape.

               “Here, wrap your hands as best you can and no one will be able to see or tell you’re a Galra.” Matt handed over the tape. Keith paused, waiting for Matt to change his mind before finally accepting the tape. He taped up his hands so that only the tips of his claws were showing and working in silence, before sighing.

               “Alright. Let’s see if we can find this person.” Keith eventually said, before marching off towards the base. He squared his shoulders back and raised his eyes until he was staring straight at the base. From behind, Matt saw the posture of someone who was determined and ready to take on the entire world if need be. He smiled and chased after Keith.

               The two of them wandered around, trying to figure a way into the base before being spotted by a guard stationed near a side entrance. Keith momentarily panicked, shoving Matt behind him as the guard waved his blaster and came close to him. He almost let out a growl, only to bit his lip at the last second. He nearly took a step backward when the guard came right up to them.

               “Who are you?” The guard snarled, raising his blaster.

               Immediately, Matt raised his hand in surrender while Keith bared his teeth under his helmet.

               “We come to you with no intentions of harm,” Matt admitted softly. “My name is Matt, and I’m a human rebel from Earth. I come on behalf of Voltron upon receiving a message from your base.” Matt explained slowly, watching as the guard began to lower his blaster. However, he never fully settled the blaster in a relaxed position, which kept Keith in a tense position.

               “Voltron?” The guard growled. Matt nodded quickly, which led to Keith eventually nodding. “And why would our base be sending a message to Voltron?”

               “Why, to join the coalition of course!” Matt grinned brightly. Keith’s eyes narrowed at Matt from under his helmet, which remained unseen to Matt and the guard. “Voltron’s heard of the incredible work done by you rebels and many other rebel bases, opposing the forces of Voltron. The paladins of Voltron want to come too of course, but they sent us – the lackeys – to make sure that everything is safe. You can’t be too careful when you’re fighting against an evil intergalactic empire.” Matt rambled and Keith nearly facepalmed.

               The guard lowered his gun again and frowned. His eyes lingered on Matt before flicking towards. Immediate, he drew his gun up again.

               “And who is he?”

               “I’m Keith.” Keith managed to growl. Matt sighed but continued to smile.

               “He’s a Wulbulat. They can’t handle your planet’s oxygen levels – they tend to need a lot less than any of us – so he has to keep his helmet on to breath.” Matt explained quickly, much to Keith’s surprise. “They’re really harmless creatures and he’s more of my bodyguard since you are pointing a blaster at me.” Matt’s eyes pointed to the blaster in the guard’s hands. The guard warily eyed Keith once more, eyeing his claws before finally settling the blaster in its home on his hip. Matt breathed a sigh of relief, but Keith remained tense.

               “We had a couple of Wulbs on base last week. One of ‘em nearly fainted in the cafeteria after he took off his helmet.” The guard said in agreement to Matt’s lie.

               “See, I promise neither of us means any harm, right Keith?” Matt said, tone pointedly making a clear message to Keith.

               “Right. I apologize. You just surprised us.” Keith finally said, playing along with Matt’s game. “It’s my job to protect Matt and be sure that this base means no harm to Voltron.”

               The guard nodded grimly. “I understand that. Even Voltron can’t be too trusting of everyone. They must have enemies everywhere.”

               “Exactly!” Matt beamed.

               “So, you say our base sent a message to you?” The guard finally asked. Matt shared a side glance at Keith, unable to see Keith’s face but he knew Keith was watching.

               “Yeah. It was highly encrypted, but the coordinates came from this exact location. We just want to see what the message was about, and then we would be happy to let Voltron on base. They could even come meet your soldiers to thank you personally.” Matt saw the guard’s eyes light up at the possibility of meeting Voltron and he smirked. _Gotcha._

               “Well, I’m just a guard so I don’t really know anything,” The guard rubbed the back of his neck. “But our commander might. He’s the one who probably sent it. Or Haxson.”

               Keith filed those names in the back of his mind before nodding.

               “Would you take us to them? Then Voltron can come.”

               “Oh yeah!” The guard said cheerfully. He turned around and beckoned Keith and Matt to follow him through the base. “Just come with me. We’ll go straight to the commander and he’ll know for sure!” Keith and Matt stuck close to one another but followed the guard into the base, and the hair on the back of Keith’s neck stood up.

               “So, how long has this base been set up here?” Matt finally asked, when the silence became too much. Keith kept quiet and at the very back of their group. His eyes scanned for every single exit that they passed by, already mapping out a route of escape. Matt was cautious but kept his focus ahead of them.

               “About  a few decafebs!” The guard answered.

               Matt’s eyes widened. “That a not a very long time.”

               “Ah, well, our base moved around a lot. We were traveling rebels that went from one place to another and went after traitors before we finally settled here on Dzankal. This is actually my first base!” The guard continued to answer easily. “I never was on the ship before this.”

               “So, you were basically…soldiers fighting before?” Matt asked slowly.

               “Yeah!” Keith felt his stomach churn at the eagerness in the guard’s voice.

               “Oh, then Voltron will be honored to have met you.” Matt continued, also feeling alarmed by the response. However, he couldn’t say anything else when suddenly the guard, Matt, and Keith were stopped by a large, bear-like creature. _These must be the natives of this planet. Apparently, they weren’t as neutral as we thought._ Keith’s eyes narrowed in suspicious at the new arrival.

“Oh, Haxson, excellent timing!” The guard said cheerfully, causing the creature to snort. His eyes never left Keith or Matt and mat couldn’t help but feel unease under his gaze. Keith’s hand lowered near the blade on his belt.

               “These are people of Voltron! Do you know anything about a message sent out to them from the base?” The guard asked. Keith watched as an array of emotions flickered over Haxson’s face. They were all brief and barely there, but Keith caught a glimpse of every single emotion. There was surprise, suspicion, glee, realization and then nothing.

               “Ah, yes. I was the person who sent out that message to Voltron. I’m thankful that they received it.” Haxson suddenly grinned and Keith’s entire body was tense. “However, where _is_ Voltron?”

               “Since you never identified yourself or gave us a message that wasn’t encrypted, Voltron sent their front line to investigate. If all goes well, Voltron will come.” Mat explained cautiously. Keith saw a flicker of disappointment on Haxson’s face before he was smiling again. “I am Matt, a human of Earth and this is Keith, a Wulbulat.”

               “Ah, yes, I apologize for our atmosphere.” Haxson bowed politely and Keith swallowed.

               “It’s no worries. I am fine.”

               “Yes, well, if you want to follow me, we can discuss this with the Commander.” Haxson gestured towards a hallway to their left. The guard followed after him, leaving Keith and Matt in the back. Together, the two of them shared a suspicious look before Matt shrugged. There wasn’t any sense in turning back now. Not when they were so close.

               Quickly the two of them followed after Haxson and the guard. Keith’s nose wiggled.

               “Was Voltron unable to decode our message?” Haxson broke the silence. Keith didn’t take his eyes off the other creature, who didn’t look like he cared that Keith was watching him carefully.

               “Oh no, we were. But we want to be sure it was you who sent it.” Matt admitted. Keith continued to watch Haxson, and gauge his expressions.

               “Well, then I’m sure you understand that our message concerned that of… _Galra_ rebels.” Haxson finally said out loud. Keith almost stumbled over his feet at the utter _disgust_ in Haxson’s voice. To his surprise, even the guard looked disgusted. The pit of uncertainty only grew bigger in his stomach. Beside him, Matt tensed.

               “Yes. Can we ask, why you would send us a message about…them?”

               “Is it true there is a Galra flying Voltron?” Haxson asked instead of answering Matt. Keith’s heart stopped and his breathing choked up in his throat. He knew he looked fine on the outside, but a small part of him was terrified that Haxson would sense his fear.

               “I don’t see how that’s a problem,” Matt argued.

               “On the contrary, I can’t bring myself to believe that Voltron would stoop so _low.”_ Haxson shrugged as if he wasn’t insulting Keith’s entire existence. Keith had to take a deep breath _(deep, deep, don’t lose control)_ in order to not lash out. Right now, wouldn’t be the best time to get angry.

               “It’s unbelievable to hear these _rumors_ that Voltron would betray the Universe by letting a Galra in control,” Haxson said as the guard nodded in agreement. Matt felt sick as he turned to look at Keith, only to silently curse that Keith was still wearing his helmet. “I mean, to think that Voltron would betray the people they claim to fight for, by letting the same creature who destroyed my homeworld, in command of the Universe’s symbol of peace.”

               “But this planet was never conquered by Zarkon.” Matt frowned, causing Haxson to chuckle darkly.

               “Oh, no, my people settled on this planet just before the rebels about a century ago. My original homeworld was enslaved and then blown apart by Zarkon himself.” Haxson’s voice turned dark and angry, sending shivers down Matt’s spine. Keith’s hands clenched into fists so tightly that he almost drew blood from the palms of his hands. “So many of my people died, that our species is nearly gone. However, we were strong and fought our way across the galaxy, killing _traitors_ , until we settled on this planet just before the rebels arrived. Since then, we’ve worked in harmony against Zarkon and his forces.”

               “Would you be willing to join Voltron?” Matt asked quietly. “In the fight against Zarkon?”

               “It depends,” Haxson said, as they entered through another door. Keith resisted the urge to growl. “On Voltron’s thoughts towards the Galra rebels.”

               Keith frowned when his nose picked up a smell. It was the same smell that he had picked up upon first entering the base. The smell was very faint and almost unnoticeable, yet Keith could pick it up with his trained nose. Though he couldn’t place what the smell could be.              

               “No. Voltron does not have a Galra on its team.” Keith finally spoke up, surprising both Haxson and Matt. The guard seemed interested but made no look of surprise. Matt stared at Keith with calculating eyes, but Keith ignored him. “There is a half Galra, but the other half of him is human. Like the other paladins.

               Haxson’s eyes narrowed. “Must have been a _bastard_ child then. A child of rape.”

               Keith’s entire body went cold.

               “No one could ever _willingly_ love a Galra but their own kind.” Haxson continued as if he didn’t see Keith’s discomfort. Matt was hesitant to keep up, but when he saw that Keith hadn’t stopped, he quickly kept pace with the rebels.

               “It still feels like a betrayal that even a _half_ Galra is on their team, but I suppose the paladin didn’t have a choice in the matter. Must be awful, though, to have to see himself in the mirror every day. Knowing it was _his_ people who murdered and enslaved so many.”

               Keith swallowed thickly, and Matt’s voice was caught in his throat.

               “I suppose if he looks more…human, then that is better.” Haxson sighed sadly. “Then at least he can pretend that his mother was never raped by a Galra soldier. They probably beat her and used her _over and over_ again until she was begging for death.”

               _“Your father loves us very much, Keith. That is why he must go to protect us.”_

               Keith’s hands were shaking at his side, but he forced himself not to react.

               “I’m sure he’s upset enough as it is,” Keith said quietly. Matt stared at Keith again, but Keith continued to ignore him.

               “Still, someone else should take his place. Even half Galra are _vile.”_ Haxson said tightly, eyes distant as if in a memory. “If it were up to me, _all_ Galra and their kind would be killed. They’re all monsters, every single one of them.”

               “Are you threatening a paladin of Voltron?” Matt finally hissed.

               “He isn’t here, is he?” Haxson joked, but there was something in his voice that made Keith’s stomach drop.

               “No. But if you’re a threat to any member of Voltron, perhaps we should leave.” Matt said, trying to keep up with his charade. However, he was stopped by Haxson waving a hand in apology and sighing.

               “But our message. It concerns information on those…rebellious Galra that one of the paladins spoke of at the last rebel meet up.” Haxson said, as a grin slowly spread across his face.

               Keith’s entire body was screaming to get out and leave this place. However, he was drawn to Haxson’s words, no matter how vile they were. To have the possibility of learning where they Galra could be or who they were; of learning who Keith was. This was his chance – maybe his only chance.

               Matt and Keith were silent as they stopped walking and Haxson turned around.

               “I only wanted to correct your paladin’s words. Theses “Galra rebels” that he speaks of,” Haxson said slowly, eyes digging into Keith’s very soul. “Are nothing but _traitors._ They are liars and murders and betray our rebellion against Zarkon and the work of Voltron!”

               “What?” Matt frowned.

               “Haxson is right. I’ve been told that there are Galra who _pretend_ to be rebels in their stupid camps, trying to pose as innocent people of our rebellion. Yeah right.” The guard snorted and swiped a code into the keypad.

               _Something is wrong._

               Keith smelt that smell once more.

               “Traitors? Have you seen them?” Matt asked.

_Something is wrong._

               “Oh yes. I’ve seen too many. All playing dress-up ad pretending to be innocent families in our rebellion, while they allow Zarkon to slaughter our people.” Haxson smirked.

               _Something is wrong._

               “And what-what do you do to these traitors?” Matt whispered.

               Haxson grinned widely.

_Something is wrong._

               “We pillaged their _bases.”_ Haxson laughed loudly and Keith’s ears were ringing. His entire body was frozen on the spot as Haxson and the guard laughed again. “We pillaged their bases and killed every last one of them, just as they had done to us.”

               _Something is wrong._

“Haxson was on one of the last traitor bloodshed, about twenty-ish year ago?” The guard said suddenly, looking over at Haxson who nodded. “That was the last time any of us hunted theses rebels. We haven’t spotted a _single_ Galra base since then.”

               “Must mean we killed all the cowards.” Haxson continued grinning. There was something maniacal about Haxson’s grin and it made Matt’s stomach flip upside down. He felt as if he was going to be sick.

               _Something is wrong._

               “I was the captain on our last run, though it’s a shame we have no more because those were good times.” Haxson continued, ignoring Keith’s frozen body. Keith could clearly smell the familiar smell now.

_Something is wrong._

               “It was a rather large base, and these Galra _scum_ must have brainwashed and tormented others because they were _hiding_ amongst many other species. With _hybrids_ everywhere.” Haxson said with a dark chuckle. “They probably thought that we wouldn’t attack the hybrids if they looked less like a Galra, where they could sneak these traitors all over the galaxy and _no one_ would suspect. “Apparently they thought we were _Zarkon.”_

               _“But Zarkon was getting closer with every year. It was only a matter of time before he would find us; find you.”_ Keith’s ears were ringing and his nose was twitching.

               _Something is wrong._

               “They were begging us to let them go, can you believe it?” Haxson shook his head in disgust and the guard nodded. “So, we killed them all. We destroyed that base and let the world believe that it was Zarkon’s doing. No one would know the sacrifices we made to keep our Universe safe but at least now Voltron can know the truth.” Haxson grinned as he looked at Matt and Keith, noting Keith’s rigid posture.

               Matt was close to throwing up.

               _Something was wrong._

               Slowly, Keith cocked his head to look at Haxson under his helmet as he was finally able to register what that smell was.

               “You have a Galra on board.” Keith finally said.

               “You have a good nose,” Haxson commented quietly, before slowly reaching toward his hop. “But, so do I and I will _always_ remember the smell of a Galra.”

               Then Haxson had grabbed his blaster and fired right at Keith.

_“Keith!”_

x.x.V.x.x

               Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Lance and even Allura were exhausted. The diplomatic meeting had taken _much_ longer than any of them had anticipated. It was rather dull and none of them were fit to be diplomats, except maybe Shiro and Allura. Though, that was mainly due to the fact that both of them were polite and always seemed to know what to say.        

               Still, they had practically leaped to their lions when the meeting had ended. It didn’t help that all of them had Keith on their mind. Each of them was worried about their friend, their brother, for different reasons.

               Shiro wanted nothing more than to be at Keith’s side in case he found anything out. After all that Keith had done – after Keith had been the one to _save_ Shiro multiple times – Shiro was angry that he couldn’t be by Keith’s side to help him this one time. He felt utterly useless right now. Keith needed them, now more than ever, and they couldn’t even be there. He remembered all the times that Keith had been there for Shiro when he was enduring a panic-attack or a nightmare when he thought no one was around, or how Keith had been the first person Shiro had woken up to.

               Hunk was terrified of the whole plan being a trap. He’d been cautious of this message right from the start, with a sick feeling in his stomach. Once or twice, he’d zoned out in the meeting only to be startled upon seeing Keith’s lifeless corpse on the table in front of him with Haggar laughing. However, before he could panic, the image disappeared, and the world was normal again. He knew Keith needed to do this, and he deserved to find some answers after all that he’d been through, but Hunk was scared for his friend. Hunk wanted to protect Keith and _never_ let anything bad happen to Keith ever again.

               Lance was trying his best to lighten the mood and crack occasional jokes. He could feel the tension between their bonds with one another and it was making him sick to his stomach. Sure, Lance was worried about Keith _(he could never forget that blade nearly piercing through Keith’s heart)_ , however, Lance knew Keith could handle himself. He knew Keith would be okay, because they were finally on their way to him, ready to help their friend in need.

               Pidge had tried to read into the message from every which angle that they could. They had calculated the possibilities of this message being a trap, or being very real. They had hoped that the later would become the final result. Keith needed some good news after all he had been through. He deserved this more than any of them, and she prayed that he would find some answers. Pidge was forever thankful at finding their brother and their father, but Keith (and the others) had become a part of her family and Pidge was starting to miss Keith’s sarcastic responses to Pidge or broody personality.

               Though, after what felt like forever, team Voltron was on their way to help Keith and Matt. All of them were excited to be of help to Keith and help him in any way that he might need. Even if to just have a shoulder to lean on.

               That was until Coran popped up on all of their screens.

               His eyes were wide with worry and his face was paler than usual. Dimly, they could all hear a soft alarm blaring in the background.

“Coran?” Allura asked from behind Shiro.

               “Princess! You must all return quickly!” Coran shouted, making everyone’s blood freeze.

               “What’s happening? Is the castle under attack?” Shiro asked, already pushing Black faster. Thankfully, Black and the other lions responded without hesitation and while Shiro was thankful for the speed, that only made his stomach twist painfully. _Something must be up that the Lions can feel._

               “No, no. The ship is fine and there aren’t any Galra fleets near me.” Coran explained breathlessly. Hunk could feel a cold hand squeezing his heart and he was sure everyone else was feeling the same thing. _If the castle wasn’t under attack, then that meant…_

               Keith.

               Shiro’s eyes widened as he willed Black to fly even faster than before.

               “Coran, is it Keith and Matt?” Shiro asked quietly. Coran panted heavily before straightening.

               “The Red lion has just taken off from the castle and she is soaring straight for Dzankal.” Coran explained rapidly. Pidge’s eyes watered at the thought of her _brothers_ in danger. “She’s almost in Dzankal’s atmosphere.”

               “Shit.” Shiro swore suddenly and no one bothered to chaste the man for his language. Right now, all they could focus on was getting to Dzankal. To Matt and to Keith.

               “Team, formation straight for Dzankal. If it looks hostile, then we engage. But until we know what is happening, refrain from shooting at the base.” Shiro commanded suddenly. “Sorry Princess, I hope you don’t mind going for a ride before I bring you to the castle.”

               “Keith comes first.” Allura nodded, taking a seat behind Shiro and buckling herself up. Shiro felt a tiny smile curl his lips upwards before nodded. Out of the corners of his window, he could see the other three already in formation and following his lead. His heart was hammering like an erratic drum in his head, while his blood sang loudly in his ears.

               “Please hold on Keith.” Shiro prayed quietly before entering Dzankal’s atmosphere.

x.x.V.x.x

               Matt had always known that Keith was an excellent fighter. Possibly just as good as Allura and Shiro, and back at the Garrison, Matt vaguely remembered Shiro always talking about some new cadet that had nearly knocked him flat on his ass.

               However, he wasn’t quite expecting Keith to be _this good._

               The shot from Haxson had been narrowly avoided by Keith, and instead shattered the glass of Keith’s helmet, revealing his snarling face. Tossing the helmet aside, Keith called for his Bayard in one hand and his small knife in the other hand. From there he was dodging every one of Haxson’s blasts before using his Galra body to leap off the sides of walls and attack Haxson. Eventually, Haxson had his own blade drawn out, and if the situation wasn’t so dire, Matt would have applauded Keith’s skills in keeping up with Haxson.

               However, the guard that had been leading them had also drawn his own weapon on Matt before calling several more guards for back up. Matt was currently dealing with his own problems of trying to stay alive, so congratulating Keith would have to wait until they escaped.

               “Keith! Let’s go!” Matt shouted over the sounds of lasers and blasters as he knocked a guard out with his electric spear. Keith grunted, from where he had dodged a slash from Haxson and used his feet to push Haxson off him.

               “Move! Move!” Keith commanded, already sprinting after Matt. Matt didn’t need to be told twice and after smashing his spear along a guard’s head, he ducked under several shots fired at him and ran out the door that he came from. He could hear the sounds of large feet following behind him and several more pairs of feet behind that. _At least Keith was following._

               Alarms began to blare throughout the base and Matt’s heart sunk as he saw some doors beginning to slowly close. Quickly picking up the pace, Matt swung as two more guards tried to surprise them at a corner of the hallway. Sweat trickled down his neck and he grunted while trying to push the guards away. After knocking one down, Matt breathed a sigh of relief when Keith had knocked the other guard out cold with the butt of his Bayard.

               “This way!” Keith shouted as he raced down a hallway. Matt kept pace with Keith, trying to ignore the adrenaline pumping in match with the alarms all around them. Keith was snarling at his side.

               “We need to get out of this base before the doors close! After that, we’ll be cornered.” Matt shouted slamming the electrical end of his spear at another guard who was aiming to shoot at him and Keith

               “I know!” Keith growled, taking out his own guard before ducking under another closing door. Matt frowned, recognizing the hall as one of the first that they had come through. Which meant that they had to be close to the entrance. Matt’s heart thudded painfully in his chest, but he shrugged it off as he followed after Keith.

               However, just as they reached around a corner where Matt could see the entrance (with a door that was slowly closing on them), they were stopped by several guards shooting at them from the other end of the perpendicular hallway. Keith grunted angrily, yanking Matt back so neither of them would be shot. The hairs on his neck were slightly singed from a blast that had gotten a  _tad_ too close.

               His eyes wandered over to the front door and he realized that the door was going to be fully closed, and locked down in less than a minute. His lips curled back in a growl. _They had to get out of there. Now._

Slowly, just before the door could close, Keith had launched his Bayard towards the narrow opening of the door and had jammed the door open with it. He grinned when he saw the door struggling to shut, as it stayed open from the force of his Bayard.

               “Go! I will cover your back!” Keith shouted over the blasters. Matt swallowed thickly, before watching as a shield appeared from Keith’s armor around his arm and his eyes widened. Keith grinned.

               “Pidge installed a shield and way to call for our bayards in _all_ of our armor. Not just our paladin armor.” Keith replied easily. Matt really wished he could laugh right now, but instead, he opted to just smile at Keith. Then, taking a deep breath, Matt was sprinting past the other hall and towards the still opened door that led outside. Behind him, Keith grunted every time a blaster was fired and hit his shield, but still, neither of them had been shot yet.

               “Go. Go, crawl under.” Keith said, eyes still trained on all the guards headed their way. Matt dropped on all four after putting his spear away, and he crawled under the door. He winced when two shots were fired at the door just inches above his head, and he immediately shot to his feet. Matt suddenly heard the door creak as he blocked the shots with his spear until there was a loud slam and suddenly the alarm sounded very muffled to Matt.

               Spinning around, Matt’s eyes widened in horror when he realized that Keith’s Bayard had slipped out from under the force and pressure and had slid near Matt. Which meant that the door had now fully closed.

               With Keith still inside.

               “Keith?!” Matt shouted, looking through the window to see Keith frantically clawing at the door. He didn’t look as scared at Matt had felt, and Matt prayed that Keith would find a way to get the door open.

               “Go! Go! Get out of here, to the others!” Keith shouted from behind the door. Matt felt his heart skip a beat and his jaw dropped open.

               “Are you crazy?! _Hell_ _no.”_ Matt argued, turning to fight off the blasts shooting his way.

               “Matt! Get out of here to the others!” Keith growled loudly.

               “No! I’m not leaving you here.”

               “Matt!”

Keith, Matt _and_ the guards were suddenly silenced by the sound of a large roar filling their eyes. The ground shook and the wind rippled all around Matt. Blearily, he looked up to see a familiar red, robotic lion burning a laser cannon into the base beside Matt. He could hear the guards yelling out of fear and anger upon seeing the sudden intruder.

               Behind the door, Matt could see Keith beginning to grin while still being shot at. The ground rumbled again and Red fired yet again at the base. Matt could feel a sudden burst of hope bursting within him upon seeing the Red lion; he figured that must mean the others were close behind.

               When Matt got hit, he was hit _hard_ in the shoulder and went down in a second. He cried out from the agonized pain of burned skin and bubbling blood coming out of the wound. He winced in pain, clutching at the fresh wound to see over a dozen guards running for him. All had their weapons pointed at Matt and any hope he had felt before was gone now.

               “Matt!” Keith shouted, pounding on the door and Matt knew there must be several other guards advancing onto Keith now too. His vision was blurring slightly from the pain and he swallowed thickly.

               Suddenly, Matt was swarmed by large, red, mechanical paws surrounding him. Thus effectively blocking him from the guards who were trying to get to him. He blinked in awe and shock at the Red lion roaring above him. The lion then knelt until its face was on the ground before opening its mouth. Wearily, Matt thanked the lion for helping them before getting to his feet. He glanced back at Keith, noting that Keith was _still_ behind the closed door. He looked back at Red facing him, before glancing at Keith, who by now was fighting off several guards that were on top of him.

               “Red, you take Matt and you _go!”_ Keith suddenly shouted, knocking a guard that had wrapped its arms around Keith’s neck.

               Matt felt his stomach drop and even the red lion tensed.

               “No! No! Keith, we aren’t leaving out!” Matt shouted angrily. The red lion gave a low growl as if agreeing with Keith.

               “Red! Get him out _now!”_ Keith commanded harshly.

               “No!”

               “Red, _now! Or he will die!”_ Keith hissed before grunting when a guard slammed their fist into his chest. Matt cried out again, reach at the door and tugging on his wounded arm. He began slamming his fist on the glass of the door before he was suddenly engulfed by the red lion and suddenly he couldn’t see Keith anymore.

               The last thing Matt could hear was Keith’s pained cry before the red lion was moving and Matt felt his heart sink. He yelled and angrily kicked at the walks of the red lion when he realized that they were flying _away_ from Keith. While Keith was still trapped, and he couldn’t help but scream about the unfairness of it all.

               Meanwhile, finally submitting to the pack of guards that had surrounded Keith and beaten him to his knees, Keith could breathe a sigh of relief upon realizing that Red had listened to him and taken Matt away to get help.

               He sighed happily, before grunting when a boot slammed into the back of his head and knocked him to the ground. His breath left him with a whoosh and Keith hissed darkly. His eyes weakly looked up to see his captor, only to find Haxson snarling down at him.

               “You’re going to regret this _filth.”_ Haxson hissed. Then everything went dark.

x.x.V.x.x

_When you look at me, why is it that all you see is a monster?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins. Poor fluffy bean. Thoughts on this chapter? Comments are loved and appreciated and so are kudos, bookmarks, and readings! Thank you and chapter 3 will hopefully come in a week!

**Author's Note:**

> Oh ho, ho, ho. So since most (hopefully all) of you have read YSBSOM, then you should know how my writing is. Which means, be prepared because I have so much planned for this sequel. Just imagine it. I can taste it.
> 
> Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed! As always I love and appreciate all of the kudos, comments, bookmarks and anything that you send my way! Let's see if we can spark that YSBSOM momentum and keep this fic going for the next nine chapters! Buckle up, and be prepared for another ride of a Voltron lifetime.  
> @lordofthebigtimesupernatural


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